In the race for humanitarian of the year, Oprah Whinfrey has invested a shitload of moolaah into a school for young girls in South Africa. The school is to help raise future women leaders in Africa, it is privately funded and free to those selected to attend. I have no problems with what Oprah did. I think that it is wonderful. It was what she said in an interview with the press. When Asked the stupid question, why the majority of the girls were black (with the exception of one girl). It wasn't the question that bothered me, it wasn't the fact that it was true that bothered me...I mean, duh, your in South Africa, The majority of english there are wealthy. It was Oprah's response..."I don't feel I need to appease the white people of this country". It is those types of typical responses from Oprah that makes me feel, I really don't like her.
Maybe this is the 'typical white' response, but this is how I feel. I don't understand why celebrities are constantly going out of the country to try to make a difference. Oprah gave everyone in her audience new cars once. Why could that money not have gone to an orphanage? Why could she not of opened a school here as well, she is rich enough? It's not like the children of our country choose to be poor. If you do some research, there are children in this country just as poor and living in dirt like the children in some 3rd world countries. I would just like the charities among celebrities to even out a little. I understand the need to do good in this world and if I had the money I would do the same, but maybe spend some here on the homefront as well.
18 comments:
Ellie:
With all due respect, why don't you Americans pay a little more taxes and help your Government help some of the American poor?
With all the mischief you guys create around the Globe, maybe some celebs feel that some Americans owe a debt of some sort to non-Americans. I seem to recall that the US government was a prime supporter of the Minority White Regime in South Africa during the Apartheid years.
Perhaps Oprah feels a need to pay it forward.
Just sayin' ...
I do believe that the mojority of my income goes towards taxes. I would much rather have the money that goes to welfare go towards a charity of my choice. I am not sure if you know much about our tax system, but it really sucks. I pay also for social security retirement that I will more than likely never see.
My point was not to point out that Oprah is helping Africa...my point was that the comment about appeasing white people was wrong. I also pointed out that I wish celebrities would contribute equally to their own country, not stop supporting other countries. I think that it is odd how many celebs in this country, that live and work here and get paid here, speak so harshly about our country. I sometimes feel like the people who live here and contribute to the way our government is and our country is run except no responsibility for help making it that way. I am by no means rich, but b/c I make a bit more than lower class, I am taxed out the wazoo. My property taxes just went to $6000 a year, and trust me, my property isn't what you would think it was.
While you are entitled to your opinion and I respect it, you can't lump 'all americans' into one group when speaking about taxes.
OMG ELLIE!
she is just as much as a biggot as the ones she fought against her whole life, isn't that sad!
Now the majority are black but that doesn't mean because they are white they should be ignored!
Either way though I am NOT a fan of Oprah's. She pulled a stunt a few years back where she went to Africa and gave out school supplies etc... but some of the kids were escorted home with armed guards so they would be beaten and raped for the stuff, what happened when the armed guards left?
She can't protect them, but she can make America think she is a hero... and with all that money she has no kids, by birth or adoption, makes you think eh.
Oh man do you have a link to that comment, I want to blog it.
What a way for Oprah to put the kids first eh!
I don't think the comment was about appeasing the white children... I think that it could have been 1 of 2 things...
#1 she doesn't feel like she needs to explain things to white people
-or-
#2 she doesn't feel like she needs to explain things to whites in South Africa like she would have to do in America.
I am not sure what she meant. But it should have been rephrased.
I think that the school is wonderful, and I would never knock anyone for doing it, but she needs to choose her words more wisely. I am just a bit tired of being judged b/c I am white...so that means I would declare to Ophrah I wanted justification of why all the kids were African in her school except for 1 girl. It just annoyed me.
Sara, hold on a moment...just because you ahve money doesn;t mean that you should be a parent, by birth, or adoption...you should be able to also emotionally provide. If Oprah knows that she can't commit emotionally, or physically { give her time to a child } then she is doing children a HUGE favour.
You can still love and care about kids, regardless of ever being a parent.
Perhaps Oprah shouldn't have made that statement, perhaps it was taken out of context, I don't know.
I think that in third world countries, people with power and money SHOULD definitely help to make a difference, but there are also problems right in these very same people's backyards.
Infact I saw last year after Katrina a documentry about the poorest neighbourhoods in the US...I believe one of the poorest is indeed within 100 miles from where Oprah tapes her show.
Not all of the tax payers in the US support choices and causes that the US government involves itself with either... :)
I'm thinking Oprah meant what you mentioned; that the overwhelming majority, of the white children in South Africa are affluent enough to afford an education, therefore they don't need a free school from her.
But she did word it completely wrong; the way she worded it sounds like she thinks she's "above white people" or something absurd like that.
And why is it an all girls school?!? Oprah's a SEXIST!
probably only one white girl in the region though lol
kinda like Arkansa Kansas lol AUNTIE MAY AUNTIE MAY why is that kid shaded under the sun....
Bah Humbug! I just hate these celebrities ponying up dough in showcase fashion to stroke their own image. I hate Oprah, and she's a bigot to boot.
What on Earth is that first comment about? This celebrity nonsense has nothing to do with any sense of "debt" to non-Americans. That's absolutely ridiculous.
And handouts from the government don't help the poor one bit.
or is that texas?
yeah.... I agree rwa... I responded appropriatly, atleast I think, but I value the comment. You know me
rwa:
A member of the "flat-earth society" I see ...
Properly constructed Welfare is not a "hand-out." It is a leg-up.
It is such a shame that so many Americans do not remember the Great Depression. One day you will be condemned to live through one, and then let's see how right-wing y'all are.
As well, you guys sure are supressing a ton of guilt for all of your international misadventures eh?
Aeneas: So I remember the Great Depression? As I am only 29, I do not. But my grandmother did live through it and I assure you it wasn't b/c people didn't pay enough taxes nor b/c people didn't contribute to welfare. It was because anaylst over projected the stock market which lead to its crash which led Americans to get scared and pull what was left of their money out of the banks. If you are talking about having compassion, I have no problem giving money to the poor, I do however have a problem with giving money to the poor that abuse our welfare systems. Which in this country seems to be pretty popular. I seem to remember a time where the government thought my parents made too much money to give me assistance with school, even though I was estranged from my parents and paying for everything myself. I went to school full time and held down 3 jobs to support myself. I don't see why a majority on the welfare system can't do the same. I have a sympathetic heart, but quite frankly there are lazy people out there that use me to get by and it pisses me off. Our welfare system is not properly constructed.
Please know, I am not against what Oprah did, I think it is a great cause, I just think she should choose her words a little more carefully especially if she chooses to be a voice of rightousness.
Ellie:
There was no welfare state in the 1930's. That was the problem when 10 million Americans found themselves out of work.
Welfare cheats are low-lifes, no doubt. But the majority need the help.
$6000 per year in PTs ? Are you in NYC, Chicago, or LA ?
Believe it or not, I live in Maryland. I live in a rural area with an acre of land that faces a farm and backs a farm. But the state assessors office just came out and decided that my old house is worth a ton and I should be taxed on it. I am so glad they did that AFTER I became pregnant so that the burden on our family is more.
I honestly don't think that any welfare system could of helped the Great Depression. It would have been a temporary fix. There were no jobs, therefor, no one contributing to taxes. FDR was the savior during that time.
Ellie:
Then why did FDR borrow all that money for job-creation programmes and rudimentary welfare?
That is when the American Welfare State began. Otherwise, the US was drowning in anrachy and headed toward revolution.
I know you don't like your tax rates and all that, but I would caution you and people like "rwa" that the US is the largest socialist state in the world - once you factor in all the Government Defence spending. So much of your economy is tied to Defence appropriations, which are soley the preserve of GOVERNMENT.
Your economy is largely propped-up by the Military-Industrial-Complex - which is exempt from Foreign Investment to a very large extent.
You may be a proud American, but don't delude yourself.
Aeneas, I think you make wrong judgements about me and my beliefs. What you said is correct.
I don't see how this topic became so far off track. It isn't a political post. I don't like Oprah and I am free to say so.
I may be a proud American, but I think if you asked the majority, that is what they would say. I love my country very much, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with everything about it.
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